Taxation and the Separation of Church and State

The separation of church and state was passed under
the First Amendment in 1791. However, Since its
inception the United States has not followed through
with this philosophy. Since colonial times, churches
have been privileged with tax exemptions. Nine out
of the thirteen colonies had some form of tax relief
to aid their churches. This right was granted to all religious
organizations with the expectation that they
would contribute to their communities by providing
aid to the poor. Through their constant reformation,
tax laws have achieved a more rigorous stance on
religious tax exemptions, yet lack the integrity needed
to prevent religious organizations from taking advantage
of the current tax laws. The objective of this
project is to analyze how the church went from being
humble, to a corporation that exploits the current tax
exemptions law, and how we need reconstruct the
current tax exemptions on religious organization.